Sleeping With A Friend
by Nyhne
Summary: Gilbert and Roderich enter a friends with benefits agreement at the beginning of their sophomore year of college but things complicate when Gilbert begins to have feelings for his bed partner. A college AU that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's (developing) relationship to one another. Series of oneshots.
1. I Never Said You'd Be Easy

This is part of a College AU oneshot series that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's relationship with one another. Hopefully you'll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now, all you need to know is that Roderich is a music major concentrating in piano performance and Gilbert is a physics major whose little brother, Ludwig, is finishing up his senior year of high school back in their hometown in New Jersey. Gil and Roderich are currently in their sophomore year of college, but the series will probably branch out around that.

The oneshots don't necessarily have to be read in order, but some make more sense when read that way than others! Additionally, the Gilbert and Roderich in this AU are not particularly pious people, as the series title implies, and there will be sexual content, drug use, and underaged drinking covered in these fics. The series and fic title are from the song 'Sleeping With A Friend' by Neon Trees. Thanks for reading, loves!

* * *

Gilbert knew he was in danger.

They had started the arrangement at the beginning of their sophomore year, about two weeks after the craziness that was Orientation Week, and Gilbert had been the one to propose the idea.

 _Friends with benefits._

It should have been simple. They were friends (kind of—most of their conversations ended in arguments and Roderich still hadn't forgiven him for the time Gilbert had punched him in the face in the seventh grade, but really, Roderich had deserved it), and the benefits were amazing.

Or at least, Gilbert thought so. Sometimes Roderich could be a bit businesslike about it, but once Gilbert had him wrestled onto the cheap Twin XL bed and Roderich began putting those pianist's fingers to better use, that was when Gilbert saw the real Roderich Edelstein come out.

And fuck if he hadn't fallen hard for it.

It was actually starting to become a bit of a problem. Non-exclusivity had always been a part of their agreement, but the longer they continued this arrangement the more Gilbert wished those three little letters in front of 'exclusivity' would just fall off.

Roderich was pretty. He was too pretty for his own good and ever since Erzsi had convinced him to get a Grindr (Gilbert was going to fucking kill her for that one day, he was sure) the Cleveland-born Austrian had turned into even more of a manwhore than he'd been before. Gilbert felt bad for whoever Roderich's neighbors were because they probably never got any sleep with Roderich's bed rocking against the wall so often.

Of course, _Gilbert_ was one of the reasons why Roderich's bed was rocking against the wall, but that was beside the point.

 _And the point was,_ was that Gilbert was sitting on a dingy, worn out couch in the basement of a frat house watching Roderich dirty dance with that Turkish exchange student who always wore a white mask because it made him look cool or something. What an asshole.

"Hey, Gil!"

A body plopped next to him on the couch, sloshing the contents of the red solo cup he was still clutching in one hand. Some spilled on his pants but he hardly noticed.

"Please tell me this isn't the same drink you had when we first got here." Erzsébet leaned over and peered into his cup, looking at its full contents critically. "That was nearly an hour ago!"

"I haven't felt like drinking yet," Gilbert shrugged in way of explanation, still keeping his eyes trained on Roderich.

Erzsébet leaned back and gave him a hard look. " _You_ ," she said disbelievingly, "haven't felt like drinking? I call bullshit."

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Shut up," he said. "Do you want the rest of my drink or not?"

He thrust it in her direction and after a pause she shrugged and let him pour its contents into her own cup. She took a deep drink and wiped her mouth with the back of a hand before turning her attention to him again.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Nothing," Gilbert said too quickly, diverting his eyes.

Erzsébet's lips pursed into a frown and she turned to look into the crowd, tracing where Gilbert's line of sight had been just a second ago. It was easy to figure out what had captured the other's attention; the couple stood out like a very attractive and sensuous sore thumb in the crowd of dancing college students.

Gilbert looked away, not wanting to talk about the elephant in the room. Erzsébet wasn't naïve to their little arrangement—and she was also perceptive enough to pick up what the problem was.

"It's whatever," he muttered preemptively.

Erzsébet's eyes turned into something sympathetic and Gilbert felt like he wanted to vomit. "Why don't you just tell him? The only way you're going to solve anything is through talking, you know."

Gilbert shook his head. "If he realizes there's something wrong with our agreement, he'll just say it's better to drop it. You and I both know that he has enough guys to fuck that losing one wouldn't matter," he grumbled bitterly.

The song began to change and an enthusiastic cry buzzed through the crowd, hips immediately changing direction and pattern to the new beat. Gilbert watched Roderich laugh as Sadik pulled him closer, the Turk's hands wandering further down his sides.

"How much has he had to drink?" Gilbert asked suddenly, nodding to the pair.

"More than I have," Erzsébet admitted. "But he's still in control, if you're worried about that," she added.

"No, I—fuck, he's going to hate me for this," Gilbert groaned. He shoved his empty solo up at her before she could ask, standing up abruptly from the couch. As he moved into the crowd he could feel the temperature spike, the sweaty throng of college students jostling him left and right. He blew out a quick breath and pushed the sleeves of his shirt up. A bead of sweat already beginning to roll down his neck.

Finally he made it to the center of the dancefloor where Roderich was, Sadik's hands on his hips guiding them to the music. Gilbert tried to ignore that part as he stood next to them awkwardly, not really dancing even as partygoers pushed around him.

Eventually Sadik noticed that he wasn't going anywhere. The Turk raised his head and peered down at Gilbert, the mask and flashing colors from the DJ's stand partially obscuring his face. His hands didn't leave Roderich's hips.

"Can I help you?" he asked gruffly.

Gilbert wasn't deterred by his unfriendly tone. He continued to ignore the other until Roderich finally looked up and noticed him, the brunet's eyes widening briefly in surprise.

"Is there something wrong, Gilbert?" he asked, hips still swaying to the beat.

"Can I talk to you?" Gilbert replied.

Roderich's movements stilled slightly and he began to pull away from Sadik's hold, to the other man's grunt of annoyance. "Did something happen to Erzsébet?" he frowned.

Gilbert made a noise in frustration. "No, I just—come on," he grumbled impatiently, grabbing Roderich's hand and beginning to pull him through the crowd before either of the other two students could react.

"Gilbert!"

He led them through the crowd and up the stairs, ignoring the annoyed comments thrown their way as Gilbert continued to push past people.

" _Gilbert!_ "

A forceful tug against his arm finally brought them to a stop, Gilbert turning back to see the agitated outline of Roderich being haloed in the open doorway of the frat house. They were standing just outside the entrance, one or two curious heads glancing their direction before returning to the party. Someone closed the door and suddenly they were shrouded in the stillness of the late autumn night, the ambient chatter of the party muffled from the outside. A faint peal of laughter rose from the backyard where a group of students were smoking.

"What has gotten into you?" Roderich demanded angrily, his arm held protectively to his side as if he thought Gilbert would pull him off again somewhere.

"I…" Gilbert mouth suddenly went dry.

"Do you have any idea the kind of spectacle you made in there? If you had something to tell me you could have just told me inside, or waited until tomorrow!" Roderich's hands curled into fists at his sides, reminding Gilbert of when they had first started sleeping together, and the sex had been an answer to their arguments more often than not. Gilbert's mouth started feeling dry for an entirely different reason.

"Now I'm going to have to go back in there and apologize to Sadik for your boorish actions—" Roderich was muttering angrily, already beginning to turn around.

As soon as Gilbert heard the Turk's name a flip switched within him and he was surging forward. He grabbed Roderich's arm, pulling him back so they were facing each other. Violet eyes looked up at him in surprise for the second time that night, Roderich's lips parted slightly. Gilbert wanted so bad to touch them.

"No," he said. His voice sounded distant even to him as he leaned forward, closing the remaining space between them and covering Roderich's lips with his own.

They were drier than he'd expected, and they tasted heavily of the punch concoction served to them in red solo cups from the downstairs bar. He felt Roderich breathe in sharply, the brunet stiffening in his hold. But he didn't jolt away, even as Gilbert finally pulled back, locking gaze with him without waver.

"Don't go back to him," he said seriously. "Please."

The expression on Roderich's face was a sea of emotions, the Austrian's violet eyes conflicted. "Kissing…kissing wasn't part of our agreement," he finally said, voice faint.

Gilbert took a deep breath, still tense in anticipation for some kind of retaliation from the other. "I know," he replied. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. Without Sadik or Erzsi around. Roderich…I don't want to do our arrangement anymore. I don't want to just be sleeping with a friend, I want something more."

He watched the panic slowly rising in Roderich's eyes, the other's shoulders tensing under his hand.

"You…you idiot," Roderich breathed out, his eyes wide.

"I'm telling the truth," Gilbert implored. "This is really how I feel, Roddy."

Roderich bit at his lip, the conflicted look waging war in his violets. "I knew this wouldn't work," he whispered.

Gilbert felt part of him break at the other's words. Why did he always have to ruin things, why couldn't he have just been happy being friends with benefits?

He watched as Roderich shook off his grip, slowly backing towards the frat house. "You should go, Gil," he said uncertainly. "Please just go."

He slipped back into the house, leaving Gilbert standing outside alone and feeling like the biggest idiot in the world.


	2. Breathing Underwater

Gilbert and Matthew take a walk. Takes place directly after _I Never Said You Would Be Easy_. Contains drug usage.

* * *

Gilbert's roommate smoked pot. Not a lot, and, having known quite a few stoners in his life (the physics department crawled with them) Gilbert wouldn't ever consider him one, but even if you took a good look at the guy you never would have guessed it.

Matthew carried a visibly introverted demeanor, had slightly wavy blond hair that reached his shoulders when he didn't get it cut, and rectangular glasses that were a bit too big for his face. He looked like the kind of kid you stole lunch money from when you needed something to do during free period.

But he was nice enough, and they worked well as roommates. They had actually been randomly assigned in their first year of college and the arrangement had worked so well that they decided to room together for sophomore year.

(Sharing an apartment with Francis and Antonio had also been briefly proposed before the trio realized that they weren't quite ready to kill each other yet.)

Matthew was quiet, but he made kickass pancakes and he was really good at making sure they stayed on budget for groceries each month. (He was an accounting major.) And, he was really, _really_ interesting when he smoked.

Gilbert didn't smoke with him often, but he liked the blond enough to go out every once in a while and share a joint when he offered. Matthew's voice got a distant sound to it once the high kicked in, and he spoke his mind with a lot more frequency. Most of it was poetic shit, like how the earth was just a single marble in an ocean of stars or how numbers were invented by humans just to make them feel better about owning something, but sometimes it gave Matthew the pluck to make commentary on Gilbert's personal life.

Like now, as they were walking down the empty street in a neighborhood not far from the university.

"Um…I heard about Roderich," Matthew said, passing Gilbert the joint as he nervously tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. It was getting long again.

Gilbert grimaced, avoiding the other's concerned expression as he pinched his fingers around the bud. They'd only just started smoking and Gilbert felt like it was too early in their outing to be having this conversation. Thinking about last night's party still felt like a raw, gaping hole in Gilbert's chest.

"I'm, um, sorry," Matthew ventured again, the nervous edge growing in his tone. "I know you two were good friends…."

 _Friends_ …Gilbert winced inwardly. "Yeah, well…it's whatever," he muttered, distracting himself with a long drag. It felt good to pull smoke into his mouth throat lungs, the weed a heavy taste against his tongue. He let out a slow breath and passed the joint back to Matthew, his eyes set firmly ahead.

"Who told you?" he asked the other.

"Francis."

Gilbert nodded slowly. "Figured as much."

"He was worried about you," Matthew [tried to defend]. "He said you looked like you'd seen a ghost when found you outside the frat house."

"That's just Franny worrying too much," Gilbert waved off. "Honestly, I could care less if that stupid priss decided he was too good to sleep with me. He can fuck whoever he wants, I don't fucking care."

They walked in silence for a while, wordlessly passing the joint between them. The street held the same kind of autumn stillness as the previous night, although a new chill had crept into the air. With only a short sleeve shirt on to cover his upper body Gilbert was suddenly reminded that summer was no longer their season. Damp fall weather was already beginning to set in and grades were starting to matter a little more. The carefree feeling from the start of the year felt like a distant memory.

As the high set in everything looked a little brighter, Gilbert feeling like he was walking on the bed of a clear-but-not-quite-see-through lake. The air shimmered around them as if undersea currents were pulling a haze across their eyes.

"He's pretty," Matthew said. His voice diffused into the water on Gilbert's right.

The other boy held up the very tail end of their blunt for Gilbert to take and his fingers swayed gently in the new physics of the water. Gilbert moved his arm against the weight of the ocean and pinched the roach between thumb and forefinger, one end of the paper blackened.

Gilbert fought the current to bring his hand up, the _click-flame_ of the Bic lighter automatic and distant as he slowly watched the rest of the blunt become consumed by ember-orange, burning the tips of his fingers.

"Yeah," Gilbert said, "he's pretty."

 _A/N: Remember how I mentioned there was mentions of drug use in this AU? This oneshot is a continuation of 'I Never Said You'd Be Easy' and is ultimately part of a College AU series that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's relationship with one another. Hopefully you'll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now, all you need to know is that Roderich is a music major concentrating in piano performance and Gilbert is a physics major whose little brother, Ludwig, is finishing up his senior year of high school back in their hometown in New Jersey. Gil and Roderich are currently in their sophomore year of college, but the series will probably branch out around that._

 _The oneshots don't necessarily have to be read in order, but some make more sense when read that way than others! Additionally, the Gilbert and Roderich in this AU are not particularly pious people, as the series title implies, and there will be sexual content, drug use, and underaged drinking covered in these fics. The series title is from the song 'Sleeping With A Friend' by Neon Trees. Thanks for reading, loves!_


	3. First Time

Erzsi might've broken up with him, but maybe Roderich can make him feel better-if only for the night. This might be the first time they sleep together, but Gilbert has a feeling it won't be the last. High School flashback. Contains sexual content.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Gil…I just think it would be better if we were friends instead."

 _Fuck_ ….Gilbert let out a short breath, rubbing his face with the excuse to look away. As much as he hated to admit it, he could already feel the sting of tears threatening and he cleared his throat gruffly to get rid of them. _Fuck_.

The brunette in front of him shuffled uncertainly.

"Gil…?" Erzsébet's voice was laced with concern.

Gilbert sighed again. "Fuck," he said out loud. He stuck his hands in his pockets, scuffing the white soles of his Converse against the asphalt. Although it was only early fall, the weather seemed to have dropped several degrees since they'd been standing outside of the school, the crowds of high school students long gone.

"I'm sorry…" Erzsébet tried again. "There's just been a lot going on with college apps and stuff and I think we work better as friends. You _will_ still be my friend, right?" she added imploringly, twisting one end of her scarf anxiously as she watched him.

Gilbert ignored the question. "Is it because we fought last week?" he asked glumly, still looking down. It had been over something stupid, like always; just a simple clash of personalities. He mumbled. "I already said I was sorry."

Erzsébet's expression broke into something sympathetic. Her hands stilled temporarily. "No, Gil, it wasn't because of our fight. I think…I think this end was a long time coming," she said softly, almost apologetic as she reached out to grab his arm.

He shrugged away from her touch, shoulders hunched over a little more against the bitter wind blowing through the parking lot.

"I get it," he said. "Whatever. Fine. Let's just be friends then."

A few early fall leaves skittered across the pavement. Gilbert hoped she wouldn't hear the strain behind his words.

"I'm sorry, Gilbert," she said again.

"It's fine," he forced out a bit harsher. A silence stretched between them like oversweet taffy until Gilbert couldn't bear it anymore and he fidgeted again. "I, um, should get going though. Do you, uh, want me to wait with you?" he cleared his throat.

She shook her head. "My dad's on his way to pick me up now," she replied.

Gilbert would be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little relieved. "Yeah," he said. "Okay."

* * *

"I'm sorry to hear about Erzsi."

Gilbert's head immediately snapped up from where it'd been resting on Roderich's bed and he stared at the brunet in a mixture of surprise and hurt. "She told you?" he asked disbelievingly.

Roderich's expression turned guarded. He was sitting at the desk, the lab notes for their group project spread out on the surface behind him. "She wanted someone to talk to after it happened," he said carefully. "I do not think she meant it as a way to go behind your back."

Gilbert considered anger for a moment before his will for even that fell away. Honestly, at this point he just wanted to stop thinking about it for a while. They had been working on their group project for the past few hours but Gilbert found his mind easily straying. He just couldn't believe that Erzsébet had broken up with him. They'd only been dating for a few months, and yeah, they'd had a fight the week before, but in a way, that had almost made the relationship seem more real. Or at least, Gilbert had thought so.

 _I think this end was a long time coming…._

Had she been playing him for a fool the entire time? Looking back at their relationship now Gilbert felt like shit. Just how stupid he must have looked….

"Gil?"

Roderich's face suddenly appeared right in front of him and Gilbert blinked, slowly returning from his thoughts. The brunet's eyebrows were furrowed in concern, large, violet eyes deepened in color.

Gilbert had known the Cleveland-born Austrian ever since he had moved to New Jersey from Ohio. They probably argued more than they got along, but Gilbert still considered them close friends and Roderich somehow worked as a confident for both him and Erzsébet. The other boy looked like he was just about to say something when the door opened and Roderich's mother poked her head into the room.

"Hi, boys," she greeted them both before turning to Roderich. "Honey, your father and I are going to bed. Is Gilbert staying the night?"

Roderich's eyes flickered over to him briefly before saying, "We're just finishing up. I can walk him home when we're done."

"Okay," she nodded. "Just stay safe. Goodnight," she blew them both a kiss before closing the door, faint movement coming from the hallway as Roderich's parents headed to bed.

Roderich let out a small breath and moved to sit next to him. "Do you want to talk?"

"I…don't know," Gilbert said honestly, feeling suddenly vulnerable. He looked at Roderich, wondering how the other did it. The Austrian had never been in an "official" relationship, but Gilbert knew he'd been in a number of flings with the other gay students at their school. Roderich just seemed so sure and in control of himself and his sexuality; Gilbert wasn't sure if he wanted to destroy it or become a part of it.

Fuck it.

Gilbert leaned forward before he could stop himself. Roderich's lips were soft and they moved against Gilbert's with expertise, despite the sharp inhale of surprise that escaped the bespectacled boy. Gilbert's fingers curled in the chocolate locks of Roderich's hair, keeping him close as he moved to change the angle of their kiss.

"Gil…what—what are you doing?" Roderich panted out softly once they'd broken for air. His lips were pink and a slight flush had risen to his cheeks, the overhead light reflecting off the brightness of his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Gilbert said, a desperate feeling building up in his stomach. "But please…just for tonight. Please."

Roderich seemed to hesitantly evaluate the look on his face before he nodded, asking, "Do you have a condom?"

"In my wallet," he nodded, shifting to dig it out of his back pocket as Roderich went to turn off the overhead light, leaving only his desk lamp on.

"Move back on the bed," he instructed, already pulling off his shirt.

Gilbert didn't need to be told twice, already scooting back against the sheets as he held the condom packet between his teeth. He tossed it to the nightstand once Roderich crawled onto the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight. Gilbert reached out to pull him into another kiss but Roderich held himself away, turning his head so that Gilbert's lips pressed against his cheek instead.

Gilbert pulled back in confusion, creasing his brows. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"No kissing," Roderich stared him straight on, an almost misplacedly serious look to his features.

Gilbert's eyebrows knitted together. "What? Why?"

Roderich shook his head. "It's just easier that way," he murmured vaguely, deft hands beginning to undo Gilbert's belt and pants fastenings.

Gilbert still had questions but as soon as Roderich's head dipped below his waist they fell from his mind, the only thing he could focus on being how awesome Roderich's mouth felt around him. Gilbert's head tipped back against the headboard, a wordless cry escaping his lips as he felt his mind being encased in ecstasy. Roderich's hands stayed at his hips to help control his movements, holding him still whenever they bucked up on their own accord.

"Fuck, Roderich—" Gilbert gasped, one hand moving to tangle in the other's hair again. "If you keep doing this I won't—fuck—" He gritted his teeth against another jolt of pleasure moving south, his fingers tightening against brunet locks.

Roderich's eyes flashed teasingly and he slowly pulled himself away from Gilbert's erection. "Really, Gilbert, I thought you'd be able to last longer than this," he said playfully.

Gilbert's pale cheeks flushed a deep red. "Shut up," he responded without much bite, pushing the other away as he reached for the condom again. "Do you have lube?"

Roderich opened the nightstand drawer and tossed him a small tube. "Do you even know what you're doing?" he asked with a snort.

Gilbert directed his best scowl at him, twisting off the red cap as the other began to shimmy out of his jeans. "I've fucked enough girls and watched enough porn that I think I know what I'm doing," he retorted, putting emphasis on the _girls_ part.

He rolled them over suddenly so that Roderich was under him, the brunet's eyes widening slightly in surprise. Gilbert smirked. "Do _you_ know what _you're_ doing?" he asked lowly, his breath ghosting next to Roderich's ear.

He thrust the first finger in without much regard, Roderich's body jolting underneath him in shock.

"Gilbert!" the other gasped.

Gilbert brought his free hand up to press against Roderich's lips, a smirk still forming on his mouth. "Ah, ah, we don't want Mommy to hear, do we?" he teased, receiving a ferocious glare in return.

He continued to prepare Roderich quietly, stretching the other boy with two and three fingers before he deemed it good enough. He tore open the condom wrapper and rolled it onto his arousal.

"Ready?" he murmured.

Roderich nodded wordlessly and hooked his legs around Gilbert's waist. Gilbert's erection brushed against Roderich's entrance and he swallowed thickly. Slowly guiding himself in, Gilbert felt like he was seeing fireworks behind his eyes. He faintly heard Roderich gasp, the sound distant.

"Fuck," he breathed out, staying still for a moment once he had sunk all the way in. None of his other encounters had ever felt like this, and as he began to move his conversation with Erzsébet earlier that afternoon steadily faded from his mind.

He had to keep his movements more controlled than he would have liked, the threat of Roderich's parents hearing them and coming in at any moment still a concern. Roderich's hand fisted in the sheets, the brunet biting down on his lip to keep from crying out. The other hand had snaked between them, working to get himself off as Gilbert thrust into him.

Gilbert swore under his breath. He wouldn't be able to last much longer, but it looked like Roderich was rapidly reaching his climax as well. Gilbert began to move his hips a little faster, a bead of sweat gathering on his brow.

Roderich came first. He felt the other jerk underneath him, Roderich's back arching off the bed as he came messily over his hand. Gilbert swore again and began to pound into the other mercilessly before pulling out at the last minute and finishing against Roderich's thigh.

He shuddered as release washed over him, his vision blurring for a moment before it slid back into focus. When it did he looked at Roderich spread out beneath him, the other boy's pale chest rising and falling in short breaths.

Gilbert couldn't help but grin. "Shit, that was awesome."

Roderich caught his breath first before he slowly moved himself into sitting with a bit of a wince. "Are you feeling better about Erzsébet?" he asked, grabbing a tissue off his nightstand and beginning to clean himself up.

"What?" Gilbert frowned before his eyes widened in sudden realization. "Oh, shit—I totally forgot about her," he admitted, rolling the condom off and throwing it in the trash without getting off the bed.

Roderich continued to clean himself off without looking up, his long locks of brunet hair disheveled and falling in front of his eyes. "That was the purpose of this, was it not?" he asked impassively.

Gilbert felt his mouth run dry. "I…" he began uncertainly.

Violet eyes finally looked up at him. "Gilbert, you just broke up with Erzsi," he sighed. "I think it would be best for all three of us if this remained a onetime thing."

Gilbert felt himself grow defensive. "I never said I wanted it to be anything more than that," he retorted quickly. "You're the one implying something more here. Look, specs, this was awesome but this was just a booty call, got it? You're the one bringing up relationship shit," he muttered.

Roderich raised one dark, thin eyebrow. "I never said it was anything more than that," he retorted calmly.

"Well…" Gilbert said, getting flustered in his words. "Good. I guess that's settled then."

He crossed his arms over his chest and Roderich rolled his eyes, turning away to toss the tissue in a trashcan. "You should probably get home," he said.

"I was just about to," Gilbert grumbled. He began collecting his clothing, struggling into his jeans and feeling moody all the while.

Even as he left Roderich's house that night, he had a bad feeling that this was only the beginning.

 _A/N: Gilbert and Roderich don't start their friends with benefits arrangement until college, but their history extends far before it. To clarify, the title refers to Gilbert's first time sleeping with another male, although as implied neither of them are new to sex. This is part of a College AU oneshot series that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's relationship with one another. Hopefully you'll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now, all you need to know is that Roderich is a music major concentrating in piano performance and Gilbert is a physics major whose little brother, Ludwig, is finishing up his senior year of high school back in their hometown in New Jersey. Gil and Roderich are currently in their sophomore year of college, but the series will probably branch out around that._

 _The oneshots don't necessarily have to be read in order, but some make more sense when read that way than others! Additionally, the Gilbert and Roderich in this AU are not particularly pious people, as the series title implies, and there will be sexual content, drug use, and underaged drinking covered in these fics. The series title isfrom the song 'Sleeping With A Friend' by Neon Trees. Thanks for reading, loves!_


	4. Traum

Gilbert and Roderich's friends with benefits agreement has come to an end, but Roderich's fine. The snowstorm, however, is not fine.

* * *

Roderich did not do well in the winter. Other people might've seen it as an enchanting wonderland, but to Roderich, snow only meant freezing winds in his face and two hour delays to everything.

Granted, he did not fare much better in the summer, given his pale complexion, but at least in the summertime he didn't have to feel like he was constantly drowning under twenty layers of clothing—which as far as he was concerned, each and every one of them was absolutely necessary.

"Oh…honey…."

Erzsébet stopped short as soon as she entered the room, her eyebrows drawing together in sympathetic amusement. Her soft white scarf was tucked neatly into her red pea jacket, long brunette hair tumbling over her shoulders. Unlike Roderich, she had on a sensible outfit that didn't make her look like an overstuff marshmallow. In fact, she looked ready for a Lifetime Original.

Roderich, on the other hand, resembled a little kid bundled up to play by his overprotective mother. He hadn't even bothered to tuck his scarf in, instead wearing the garment wrapped around his neck so that it covered his mouth. His glasses were slipping down his nose, but Roderich wasn't quite sure if he could push them up without messing something up in his attire. He glared over the tops of them instead.

"You know I get cold easily," he said defensively.

The scarf over his mouth somewhat dampened the effect.

Erzsébet hid her smile under one mitten-covered hand. "I know," she replied. "You just look like you're ready for a new ice age in that get up. You know it's only thirty degrees out, right?"

Roderich made a face. "That's _below freezing_ , Erzsi!"

"Oh hush," she waved a hand dismissively. "Don't be such a baby. I don't know how you got through winters back home when we were younger," she laughed.

Roderich grumbled and pulled his scarf tighter before stuffing his gloved hands into the pockets. "Back home I didn't have to walk to classes three times a day."

Erzsébet snorted. "Yeah, you just had to walk to school at seven in the morning instead."

The thought of it made Roderich shudder. Of course, back home, he had been living comfortably under his parents' wealth and knew that he had a nice warm house to return to. Here he just had a tentative promise that the power wouldn't go out again for the fifth time that semester. Plus when he was back home, walking with friends had always made the trek more bearable.

Or unbearable, when it came to a certain Gilbert Beilschmidt….

Roderich winced at the name. Ever since the frat party a few weeks back they'd hardly spoken to each other. He was pretty sure the other was avoiding him, although with finals just around the corner Roderich was happy to use the busier time as an excuse to avoid Gilbert equally so.

Even if he didn't show it, he did regret that it had had to end as it did. Their arrangement had been rather convenient, and after knowing Gilbert for most of his life, it was odd not having the German around.

He supposed the problem with their arrangement was that it had blurred the line between "friends" and "benefits" too much. They had already started out as friends (or "frenemies," as Gilbert, for some inane reason, liked to call them)—officially adding the benefits part just made things too hard to keep track.

And Roderich wasn't naïve. He had known there was a risk going into their agreement from the beginning, but part of him had still hoped that his concerns were simply the result of overthinking things. Gilbert had been the one to suggest the arrangement in the first place; it was the first time they had slept together since high school and in the pleasant afterglow that came after rather satisfying sex, Roderich had said yes.

He should have listened to his gut. That bad feeling in the pit of his stomach telling him that this was a bad idea.

Well, Erzsébet always did say that he had a bad habit of looking at things in hindsight….

As if sensing what he was thinking, Erzsébet turned to him at that moment to ask, "So, uh, how have things with Gilbert been going?"

Roderich's already scowling face soured even further. "I don't want to talk about it," he said moodily.

Erzsébet sighed. "You know, refusing to talk about it is only going to make things worse," she reprimanded gently. She tried to catch his eye but Roderich refused, staring steadfastly at the gray asphalt ahead of him as they walked. A few palsy flakes of snow were already beginning to fall.

"Roderich…."

"It's fine. It's probably for the better. You've said it yourself that our arrangement was an accident waiting to happen," he shrugged.

"I know" she sighed, "but I didn't want it to end like this. You two have been friends for so long…I just didn't want either of you to get hurt."

Roderich scuffed the toe of his shoe against the pavement and muttered a curse under his breath.

"It's fine," he repeated. "It's not like we even liked each other that much as friends, anyway. We honestly just argued most of the time."

Erzsébet was perceptive enough to see through his apathetic tone. She hid her sympathetic look behind a veil of her long brunette hair. "Even so," she said, picking her words carefully, "you two were still close. We've all known each other since we were kids, and it can be hard to lose a friend like that."

Roderich did feel a guilty twinge at that. He, Gilbert, and Erzsébet had been a rather tightknit trio ever since his family had first moved to New Jersey from Ohio. They had always had their ups and downs, but Roderich knew it was probably eating at Erzsébet to be caught in the middle of the two boys feuding. Gilbert had never been quite as close to Erzsébet since the rather uncomfortable end to their relationship Junior year of high school, but Erzsébet still cared about the pale-haired German and Roderich had no doubt that the feeling was mutual.

He let out a tired breath. "I know," he said, "and I apologize that you have to deal with this….You always were the mature one between the three of us."

"Of course I am," Erzsébet snorted, setting her shoulders back and tossing her hair behind one shoulder. "I don't know why people always think it's you."

"My quiet demeanor as a child helped create that impression," he explained, a tug at the corner of his lips giving the smallest indication of a nostalgic smile.

"People only thought you were the quiet one because you never joined in on Gil and I's roughhousing," she retorted. "They didn't know the true Roderich Edelstein who could kick and scream his way through fits like the best of them."

"Not often!" Roderich protested.

"Of course not, darling."

The whoosh of automatic door sweeping open alerted Roderich to the fact that they had somehow arrived at the grocery store without freezing to death. He watched the sleepy bustle of mid-afternoon patrons wander up and down the aisles feeling a like he'd just woken up from a dream and had somehow managed to sleepwalk his entire way to the store. The door opened again as an elderly lady leaning on her cart slowly pushed by and Roderich felt himself shiver.

"You really should talk to him," Erzsébet's voice said softly next to him. She reached out to give his gloved hands a brief squeeze and Roderich's gaze slid down to meet her sympathetic one. "He deserves at least that."

Roderich's throat felt dry. "We'll see," he managed.

Erzsébet gave him a small smile. "I guess that's the best I can hope for with you two, huh?" she humored. He didn't miss the sad tone in her words.

"I'm sorry," Roderich said.

"You're not," she said. "Not yet."

And Roderich didn't know what to say.

 _A/N: Sorry, I'm a little behind on updating this series on FF._ _This is part of a College AU oneshot series that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's relationship with one another. Hopefully you'll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now, all you need to know is that Roderich is a music major concentrating in piano performance and Gilbert is a physics major whose little brother, Ludwig, is finishing up his senior year of high school back in their hometown in New Jersey. Gil and Roderich are currently in their sophomore year of college, but the series will probably branch out around that._

 _The oneshots don't necessarily have to be read in order, but some make more sense when read that way than others! Additionally, the Gilbert and Roderich in this AU are not particularly pious people, as the series title implies, and there will be sexual content, drug use, and underaged drinking covered in these fics. The series title isfrom the song 'Sleeping With A Friend' by Neon Trees. Thanks for reading, loves!_


	5. Knight's Promise

Roderich gets himself into some trouble. High school flashback. Contains some violence and homophobic slurs.

* * *

Roderich wiped the blood from his lip after the second hit, the older boy already pulling his fist back and shaking it out with a determined look on his face.

He hadn't let his head follow through as much as he should have and now his neck hurt, a muscle probably strained from the action. The other boy still had his hand formed into a fist, like he was thinking about hitting him again, but instead he stepped back, releasing his hold on Roderich's shirt.

Roderich's feet connected awkwardly with the ground and he stumbled against the wall behind him. He kept his head down, concentrating on fixing his crooked glasses and wiping the blood off his hand.

"That's for kissing my little brother, you fucking pervert," the blond spat. He spat literally next to Roderich's shoes as if to intimidate him, but Roderich just moved his foot away with indifference.

"Stay the fuck away from him. If I catch you anywhere near him I'll beat the fucking shit out of you. My little brother isn't some—some _homo_ like you are, understand?"

That's where he was wrong, but Roderich knew better than to say that aloud. Even if Damien had been a rather good kisser.

"Hey, are you listening to me?"

Roderich felt himself get picked up again, his shoulder blades connecting roughly with the brick wall. " _I said if you touch him again I'll kill you!_ "

Roderich opened his mouth to reply, but in the next second there was a flash of pale blond hair and a fist smashed into the other boy's jaw fantastically, causing him to let go of Roderich and stumble back a few steps.

Standing over them was Gilbert, his bronze eyes blazing and one fist still raised in a threatening stance.

"Why don't you mind your own business, huh?" Gilbert ordered.

"Gilbert?" Roderich blinked.

The other boy's eyes flickered angrily to Roderich for a moment before returning to the newcomer, his mouth pressed into a hard glare. He looked like he was about to get up and fight back, but movement around the corner attracted his attention and Roderich turned to see Ludwig step out from behind the building.

Ludwig was still in middle school, but for those who didn't know any better, he looked like he could have been several years older. His awkward, childhood frame had quickly bulked into something bigger during puberty, and he already stood a good inch or so above Gilbert. The blond looked between the two brothers before gritting his teeth and scrambling to his feet, a frustrated look on his face.

"Whatever," he sneered, backing away. "I guess you _fags_ have to stay together. But if you ever come near my brother again, Edelstein, I'll make sure to get to you before your little boyfriend does."

He flipped Gilbert off before leaving, the school parking lot finally empty besides the three of them. Gilbert made sure the other had left before sighing and turning to Roderich, a wary look on his face. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"You didn't need to come save me," Roderich said.

Gilbert frowned. "Are you kidding me? I'm not going to let you get beat up by some goon like him."

"I was handling it fine. You didn't need to do anything."

"That wasn't ' _fine_ ,' Roderich. He was beating the shit out of you!"

"He punched me once!" Roderich retorted defensively. "It was just a dumb threat, Gilbert, I didn't need you to come—"

"What the fuck, priss!" Gilbert's eyes flashed, his fists clenched as he took a step closer. "Are you honestly fucking kidding me right now? What, you just expect me to keep walking when you're getting the shit beat out of you by some asshole? What kind of fucking 'thanks' is this?"

"It _isn't_ one, dummkopf, that's what I'm saying!" Roderich gritted back. His shoulders were squared defensively and the cut on his lip had started to bleed again, a thin sliver of red glistening against his teeth. "Why are you being so stubborn about this—"

A small cough caught both of their attention and Roderich turned to see Ludwig still standing by the building, looking uncomfortable.

"Um, maybe the best thing would be for everyone to go home for now…" he said hesitantly.

Roderich pursed his lips and turned away. Gilbert had been one of his closest friends for years now, but he was still the most infuriating person Roderich had ever met. Why did he always have to be so stubborn about things?

"…Fine," Gilbert muttered, looking away as well. "If that's what the priss wants, then fine, let's go."

He began leading the way out of the parking lot and grudgingly, Roderich followed. None of them were old enough to drive yet, and they lived close enough to the school that they usually just walked home. The day was starting to feel a lot chillier as the early night descended.

For the entire half-mile trek they walked in silence. Gilbert lived closer to the school by a block, so they reached his house first. Ludwig fidgeted uncomfortably and glanced between them before clearing his throat. His voice was still going through some changes, its tone awkwardly deep at times.

"Well, um," he said. "I need to go finish some homework…" he offered as an excuse, nodding a stunted goodbye to Roderich before hunching his shoulders and walking up the path that led to the Beilschmidts' little blue house.

The two remaining boys continued to stand there without really looking at each other. Roderich concentrated his gaze on the drooping yellow grass that made up the Beilschmidts' plain yard. Winter was setting in quick, even though it felt like the fall had just begun.

"I should get home before my parents see this," Roderich finally said.

Gilbert scuffed one foot. "Yeah," he replied.

Roderich nodded and readjusted the strap of his messenger bag before starting along the sidewalk again.

Without being asked to, Gilbert walked with Roderich the rest of the way to his house, just a street away. They continued to walk in silence, Gilbert's hands shoved into his jacket pockets and Roderich's curled against the strap of his messenger bag.

They reached his house faster than he'd expected, the custom-ordered door with the fancy three  
windows inset suddenly in front of them. Gilbert shuffled his feet. "Well, um, here you go, priss," he muttered, looking down.

Roderich just nodded again and they stood there for a moment more in silence before Gilbert spoke again.

"Did you really kiss him?" he asked.

Roderich felt his mouth go dry for reasons he couldn't explain. He wet his lips reflexively, his tongue feeling the raised area around the cut.

"Yeah," he said, "I did."

"Oh…" Gilbert replied, and then since he apparently couldn't think of anything else to say they lapsed into another long silence.

"Well, um, I guess I should get going," he finally said.

"Yeah," Gilbert mumbled, "I, uh…me too." He nodded, still keeping his head down. "See ya, priss."

"Gilbert…" Roderich heard himself say.

Gilbert's eyes looked up at him far too quickly, his deep bronze irises betraying much before he averted them again. "Yeah?"

His tone sounded forcibly casual.

Roderich bit at his lip and mulled the words over in his mouth. "Thank you," he said.

The other boy let his breath out in a relieved chuckle. His shoes scuffed against the polished wood of the porch and Roderich watched him shrug his shoulders, the tension gone. "I'll always be there for you, okay? No matter what. Knight's promise."

Roderich smiled demurely at his shoes before shaking his head. "You fool," he said affectionately.

Gilbert looked up at that, indignant, but before he could respond Roderich leaned forward and kissed him once on the cheek before pulling away, an almost amused expression on his face.

"Goodnight, Gilbert," he said before slipping through the front door, leaving Gilbert speechless.

 _A/N: This is part of a College AU oneshot series that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's relationship with one another. Hopefully you'll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now, all you need to know is that Roderich is a music major concentrating in piano performance and Gilbert is a physics major whose little brother, Ludwig, is finishing up his senior year of high school back in their hometown in New Jersey. Gil and Roderich are currently in their sophomore year of college, but the series will probably branch out around that._

 _The oneshots don't necessarily have to be read in order, but some make more sense when read that way than others! Additionally, the Gilbert and Roderich in this AU are not particularly pious people, as the series title implies, and there will be sexual content, drug use, and underaged drinking covered in these fics. The series title isfrom the song 'Sleeping With A Friend' by Neon Trees. Thanks for reading, loves!_


	6. Sunday Night

For the first time in weeks, Roderich sees Gilbert. The conversation doesn't go exactly as planned.

* * *

"Your total is $10.73. You paying with Campus Cash or credit, honey?"

The bored-looking campus worker stared at him with only a slow blink, her wrist flicked out and hand held open expectantly. The activity at the tiny campus eatery was lulled for the moment, the dredge of a wintery Sunday evening keeping most students huddled in the dorms.

A few of them had braved the weather to trudge to the library or to find food. Roderich belonged to the former category. He was already anticipating a long night ahead with his theory paper due the next day. Grabbing a snack for later had seemed like a good idea when he'd left his room, but as he reached into his bag to fish out his wallet, his hands turned up empty and his stomach dropped.

"Um, sorry," he said, feeling embarrassed as he turned to start digging through his messenger bag, its scattered contents rustling and crinkling with the effort. The worker popped a bubble and dropped her hand back to the counter.

Roderich glanced briefly over his glasses and to his horror, found that a line had started to form behind him. The girl behind him had already pulled out her phone and was texting away impatiently.

A deep flush began to appear on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he said after another frantic search through his bag. "I must have left my wallet in my room. Um, is there any chance that if I give you my student ID number—"

"Gotta see some identification first," the worker cut him off. She wasn't even bothering to look at him by this point, the measured smacking of her gum equivalent to a foot tapping in impatience.

Roderich thought desperately. He already had all of his stuff with him—if he went all the way back to the dorms that would be another twenty minutes before he got anywhere near the library. And all this for a stupid sandwich!

"Um," he began just as someone else down the line spoke up.

"I can pay for him."

Roderich looked behind him. Stepping between two students a little ways down the line was none other than Gilbert.

The pale-haired German had an almost sheepish look on his face, though he hid it quickly as he stepped forward to pay. Roderich watched him hand over his student ID without really registering it. He was still trying to process the fact that Gilbert Beilschmidt was standing in front of him for the first time in weeks.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow at him. "Getting something to eat, like everyone else here," he replied matter-of-factly.

Roderich opened his mouth to respond, but the clerk was already handing Gilbert's card back and calling "Next!" in the same apathetic manner. Gilbert nodded for them to move out of line and Roderich numbly followed.

They shuffled over to one of the aisles and for a long moment, just stood there, Roderich still staring at the other with some mixture of disbelief and conflict twisting his features. Gilbert shuffled his feet and cleared his throat.

"So…" he began.

"I haven't heard from you in weeks," Roderich cut in before he could begin.

"Was I supposed to be checking in with you?" Gilbert frowned.

Roderich's feature's scrunched even more. "No, I just mean—"

Gilbert cut him off with a shake of his head. "Look, Roderich…" he began, hesitating before rubbing the back of his neck and looking to the side. "Let's just go back to being friends, okay? No agreement or anything, I promise. This is just getting too weird."

Roderich blinked, visibly taken aback. This…certainly wasn't how he'd imagined this conversation going. Part of him had honestly thought that they would go on ignoring each other for their rest of their lives—they could both be rather stubborn individuals. But for Gilbert to be the one admitting defeat first….

"Uh, hello? Roderich?"

A set of pale fingers snapped in front of his face. Roderich jerked back hard.

Gilbert regarded at him for a moment with an unreadable expression before shaking his head. "Whatever," the other muttered. "This isn't worth it."

Somehow, that caught his attention. "Excuse me?" he frowned.

Gilbert stared at him in disbelief. " _This_ time you decided to listen?" he ask exasperatedly.

Roderich's reflexes immediately readied themselves to fire back. "If you're going to insult me like that, then yes!"

The other student made a frustrated noise and threw his hands up in the air, attracting the attention of a few of the other students at the store. The clerk watched over them indifferently and popped a bubble. "What the fuck, Roderich! Why are you always so fucking difficult to deal with, Jesus Christ!"

Roderich's eyes darted to the small crowd of onlookers and he felt his face grow hot. A few other students had walked into the store and immediately stopped to see what all the commotion was about. "Can we please talk about this somewhere more private?" he gritted out between his teeth.

"You and your fucking propriety," Gilbert rolled his eyes before muttering "fine" and, before Roderich could protest it, he grabbed Roderich's hand and dragged them both outside of the store.

Roderich expected them to stop once they were outside the doors, but to his dismay, Gilbert kept walking. He also kept a tight hold of Roderich's hand and no matter how hard the brunet tried, he would not let go. A few students looked their way, although it was getting harder to see with the sun nearly set. Roderich's short breaths came out in little clouds in front of him.

"Gilbert!" This was starting to feel annoyingly familiar.

Gilbert kept walking and finally Roderich decided he'd had enough. He set his lips to a firm line and dug his heels into the concrete, refusing to walk another step. Gilbert looked back at him, his mouth open in surprise.

"Just what has gotten into you?" Roderich demanded. His glasses had started slipping down his nose but he refused to break the moment and push them back up again.

Plus, Gilbert still had hold of his hand.

"First the party, now this? Is there something wrong with you?" he asked in exasperation.

For a moment, Gilbert looked like he didn't know what to say or how to say it. The blond opened and closed his mouth a few times before giving a frustrated shake of his head and dropping Roderich's hand to walk away a few steps, his back still turned to the brunet.

"How do you still not get it?" Gilbert asked. Except that he still hadn't turned to face Roderich, and he sounded like he wasn't expecting an answer.

"You might be some musical genius or whatever, but you're one of the densest people I've ever met. I honestly don't know how you've survived this far in life without someone killing you for it yet."

Roderich opened his mouth, about to take offense, but Gilbert cut him off with another shake of his head, as if he had sensed Roderich about to speak without even turning around.

"You are the most frustrating person I know and yet I still can't bring myself to give up on you completely. No matter what you do, I know I'll always be there to back you up." For a moment Gilbert sounded pained and Roderich saw the other's hand squeeze into a tight fist by his side. The streetlamps had finally flickered on and Gilbert's pale hair was illuminated in the fluorescent light. Campus had become oddly deserted around them.

"I don't think you know how much it hurt to see you choosing all those other guys over me. Even after you knew that I had a thing for you, you still…."

Gilbert's voice broke off thickly. Roderich wanted to fill the space, but his mouth wouldn't let him think of what to say. He never had been good in these kinds of situations. It was why he had always avoided relationships in the first place. But Gilbert looked so vulnerable standing there that he knew he had to say something. Explain why things had happened the way they had, or, or….

"Gil…" he ventured.

"If you're just going to give me some excuse, then I don't want to hear it," Gilbert cut him off bluntly. "I don't need you telling me why you slept with everyone else even though you knew. That'll just make it worse."

Roderich's stomach clenched. "Then what do you want me to say?" he shot back. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"That's just it," Gilbert sighed. If you don't know what to say without me telling you, then I don't think you ever will. So I'm getting out of this cycle. We can still be friends, but…I'm done with chasing something I can't have. It's clear you never wanted it in the first place."

The brief feeling of indignation in Roderich started to fade. "Gilbert…" he tried.

For one last time Gilbert shook his head slowly, like an aging dog. His shoulders were tense, but his fists had slackened at his sides. "If we want to stay friends, then I recommend you drop this subject, Roderich," he warned, tone heavy.

Roderich frowned but decided it better not to answer. For a long moment they stood there, neither speaking or moving. Gilbert still hadn't turned to face him and Roderich's face was getting cold with the sun no longer out. He shifted uncertainly from one foot to the other.

"So then what?" Roderich finally asked. His breath came out in little puffs and his arms were hugged tightly around himself. The heavy clouds above them threatened snow.

Gilbert shrugged once—slowly—with his shoulders hunched and his hands shoved into his pockets. For a moment, Roderich thought he would not say anymore, but Gilbert seemed to have kept to his silence long enough and he finally said, "Things just go back to the way they were, I guess. You and I are just friends and everything's normal."

"Normal," Roderich echoed. "Right."

His mouth slanted into a thin line but Gilbert didn't reply. Roderich hadn't expected him too, anyway, and the first few flakes of snow had started to fall, thick and unhurried from the sky. Roderich shivered.

 _A/N: This one is kind of filler, but slowly things are moving again! This is part of a College AU series that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's relationship with one another. Hopefully you'll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now, all you need to know is that Roderich is a music major concentrating in piano performance and Gilbert is a physics major whose little brother, Ludwig, is finishing up his senior year of high school back in their hometown in New Jersey. Gil and Roderich are currently in their sophomore year of college, but the series will probably branch out around that._

 _The oneshots don't necessarily have to be read in order, but some make more sense when read that way than others! Additionally, the Gilbert and Roderich in this AU are not particularly pious people, as the series title implies, and there will be sexual content, drug use, and underaged drinking covered in these fics. The series title is from the song 'Sleeping With A Friend' by Neon Trees. Thanks for reading, loves!_


	7. Tonight Again

It's their first week of college and already things are complicated. Freshman year flashback. Contains some referenced sexual content and mild homophobic slurs from Gilbert's mouth.

* * *

Gilbert took another sip from his red solo cup as he surveyed the room. The frat house basement was overflowing with drunk college students, the majority of them overeager freshmen, and it smelled strongly of sweat and whatever DUI-worthy concoction was currently fizzing away in Gilbert's cup.

It was only the third day of Orientation Week and this was the second party Gilbert had been to since arriving on campus. The group of sophomore girls Francis had charmed his way into getting invites from had abandoned them almost as soon as they'd stepped foot into the beer-laden musk of the frat house—although Gilbert had caught sight of Francis leaning over the arm of a couch chatting to one of them a while ago.

Antonio had struck up conversation with some upperclassman who had shoulder-length blonde hair and rounded, cat-like features that dimpled when she smiled. The Spaniard's posture was innocent enough, but Gilbert swore that every time he saw them they had moved a little closer.

Which left Gilbert by himself, drink in hand as he observed from his position next to the doorway.

It wasn't that Gilbert hadn't had his fair share of attention at the party, but after three days of nonstop drinking and socializing, Gilbert was already finding himself bored. Besides, most of the people that had passed his way weren't really his type.

His eyes scanned over the room again just as a group of sophomore girls passed through the door and flashed him flirtatious giggles. Gilbert grinned in return but otherwise made no move to pursue them. If he was being honest with himself, the only person who could really capture his attention right now was—

Gilbert swore aloud as low and behold, the two people he should have expected to see stepped off the basement stairs, drinks in hand. The night was about to get a bit more complicated.

Erzsi was wearing a sleeveless crop top that had a high neckline and showed off her lean muscles beautifully. She had on low-waisted black jeans, despite the hot, humid night, and Gilbert could see from the glint in her eyes that she'd already enjoyed a drink or two before coming downstairs.

A few heads had already turned her way, but Gilbert's eyes had already slid past her mane of thick, wavy hair to the brunet standing next to her.

Contrary to his usual prim and proper appearance, Roderich was wearing a loose fitting purple tank with an ombre fade and light gray jeans that looked as skin-tight as Erzi's. Gilbert was also pretty sure that he was wearing makeup.

A douchey-looking frat brother elbow one of his friends with a troublemaking jeer in Roderich's direction, but, as if possessing some sort of sixth sense, Erzi's head swung their way and she gave the other student a murderous glare that quickly had him turning the other direction. Gilbert whistled low in appreciation. The crazy bitch hadn't lost her touch, after all.

Unsurprisingly, Roderich appeared ever oblivious to it all, the brunet turned an entirely different direction throughout the little exchange.

 _Clueless little prince._ Gilbert breathed out heavily and felt his cup crinkle slightly in his hand.

"Fucking fruit is going to get himself killed," he grumbled under his breath.

It had been nearly a week since they had arrived on campus and this was maybe the third time Gilbert had seen Roderich since move-in day. Gilbert was pretty sure the other boy was avoiding him deliberately.

Well, he didn't have any _proof_ of it, and to be fair, most of his time had been spent with Francis and Antonio now that they were finally going to the same school again…but Gilbert had a strong suspicion that Roderich was avoiding The Conversation:

Since that first night the fall of their Junior year, Gilbert and Roderich had been sleeping together with (surprising) regularity. Gilbert liked to say that it was just a way for him to get off when he was horny, but it still put them in a bit of an awkward position now that they were in college. He knew that Roderich was looking to hook up with people during Orientation Week—if the brunet hadn't already—just like any other freshly-initiated college freshman. (And Gilbert was definitely _not_ _jealous_ at that.)

But Gilbert had (mostly) convinced himself that he didn't care whether the brunet wanted to keep sleeping together or not. Like the fuck he cared whether Roderich made himself the biggest whore on campus. He just wanted a simple answer, that was all—

He tried to remind himself of this as he began walking towards the pair, bracing himself with a deep breath.

"Is that Gilbert Beilschmidt?" Erzsi asked once he'd broken through the crowd. She had one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed over her chest, and amused look on her face.

From afar, Roderich's face remained largely impassive, but Gilbert hadn't missed the slight widening of his eyes in surprise.

"Fancy seeing you two here," Gilbert said casually, forming a well-practiced smirk on his lips. "Just couldn't stay away from all this awesomeness, could you?"

He gestured lower on his body and that finally seemed to prompt the reaction he wanted from the other male. Roderich scoffed loudly and rolled his eyes, the dark eyeliner obvious now that Gilbert was closer. What a fruit.

"Oh shove off it, Gilbert. As if anyone would be desperate enough to go back with you tonight."

Gilbert faltered at that. Was that just one of Roderich's automatic responses, or had he actually meant it?

He plowed through the hesitation with another obnoxious grin and moved forward enough to sling an arm over the other's shoulders, pulling him close with wolfish look.

"Whatever, Roddy. You know you can't resist my—"

" _Ah, Gilbert, there you are!_ Tonio and I were beginning to worry."

Gilbert looked up just as Francis parted his way through the crowd, Antonio struggling to keep up behind him. The blond was holding his red solo cup like it was a wine goblet, one pinky extended ridiculously. The top few buttons of his shirt were noticeably undone.

"Why the hell would you need to be worried about me?" Gilbert snorted, refusing to loosen his hold on Roderich despite the other's squirming.

"Safety in numbers," Francis tutted, and then paused when he realized that Gilbert was not alone.

"My apologies," he said, his eyes notably straying on Roderich. "I did not realize you were with company. Enchanté, darling, I hope our Gilbert was not being too rude."

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Fuck off, Franny. This is Roderich and Erzsébet—you've met them before, it's just been a few years."

The blond's eyes brightened immediately. "Mais oui, of course I remember Roderich and the charming Erzsébet! It has been such a long time since Gilbert last let us see you—he must have been keeping you to himself for a reason, non?" he winked.

Erzsi hardly looked impressed, but Roderich's cheeks colored pink and he immediately shoved Gilbert off of him.

"We're not together," he clarified.

"Oh?" Francis blinked. Gilbert didn't miss the calculating glint behind it.

He scowled. "Weren't you talking to that sophomore chick from earlier?" he asked a bit testily.

Francis waved a hand dismissively. "I have her number," he said.

 _Of course he did._ "You're a fucking prick, you know that?" he said instead.

Francis blew him a kiss in response.

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said. He turned back to Roderich, who looked a bit wary at the sudden attention. "Can I talk to you?"

"…Why?" the other asked.

Gilbert let out an exasperated breath. "Because," he answered, and then pressed one hand against his back and more or less pushed him up the stairs before a protest could be made.

"Gilbert!"

Gilbert pulled him into the kitchen and forced Roderich to face him. The other looked flushed, his cheeks red and his chest heaving a bit from the exertion.

"Well?" he demanded expectantly.

Gilbert took a deep breath and tried to think of everything he wanted to say. Roderich's eyes were narrowed and his lips were slightly parted—chewed pink and enticing. "Why have you been avoiding me?" he finally blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Roderich frowned.

"I mean," Gilbert tried to not lose resolve, "we've barely talked since move-in day. Look, I know there's a lot of new things happening now that we're in college and all, but you've been avoiding me. Why?" he pressed.

Roderich's mouth gaped a bit more. "I—I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Bullshit," Gilbert immediately called out. "C'mon, Roddy, I mean it. Why have you been avoiding me? I know we're no longer in high school, but if this is because of us having sex—"

" _Shut up_ —" Roderich hissed, his eyes darting around nervously.

Gilbert frowned. An unpleasant feeling churned in his stomach.

"Roderich…" he frowned. "Are you…ashamed to admit that we were sleeping together?"

"Of course not," Roderich said, but he wouldn't meet Gilbert's eyes when he said it.

Gilbert's face began to heat up for reasons other than the alcohol. "You are, aren't you?" he bit out savagely. "What, are you too good for me now, or something?" he demanded.

He hadn't even noticed that he'd been stepping forward until Roderich was pressed against the counter, his eyes wide as Gilbert leaned over him.

Gilbert placed both hands on the counter to trap the other there, his breath hot against Roderich's ear. Perhaps feeling a bit impulsive because of the alcohol, he reached one hand down to cup the front of Roderich's jeans, the brunet's breath pulling in sharply.

"I might not be one of those upperclassmen jocks you're going after, but don't forget, I can still fuck you better than any of them," he breathed heavily against Roderich's ear.

Voices began to approach and Gilbert immediately stepped back, his expression neutral as two frat brothers entered the kitchen.

"You two okay?" one of them asked, raising an eyebrow at them both.

"Yup, just fine. We were just catching our breath for a moment but we're good now," Gilbert replied. Roderich's cheeks were flushed and he didn't answer or look at anyone in the room. But to Gilbert's surprise, Roderich's hand grabbed onto his wrist and pulled them both out of the room.

"Let's go," he muttered.

"Okay," Gilbert blinked, dumbly letting himself be led out of the room. As soon as they exited the kitchen, they were back to the mass of partygoers, heavy techno beats blaring over the ruckus.

For once their roles were reversed, Roderich leading Gilbert through the crowds until finally Gilbert pulled on the other's grip, his expression confused.

"Roderich, what are we doing," he frowned.

Roderich turned back to him, the expression on his face hidden.

"If this is what you want, then fine," he said, wasting no time on preamble. Gilbert blinked and stood in the middle of the crowd looking dumbfounded. "But don't think that you're any different than the rest of them. This isn't going to be any different than before, and that's not going to change. Is this what you wanted?"

"I—" Gilbert gaped.

"Take it or leave it, Gilbert, and I mean it."

Gilbert swallowed hard. "Fine," he said. "Whatever, sure."

Roderich nodded and for a moment, Gilbert swore he saw the flicker of relief in the other's eyes. It was gone before he could even blink.

"Good," the other said. And before Gilbert could blink, Roderich had disappeared back into the crowd and was gone.

 _A/N: Aaaaaaand this is where we're going to put a pause on focusing so heavily on Gilbert and Roderich. You're still see them around, but I have a lot of other characters and pairings that have stories to tell, as well! Hope you'll stick around. C:_

 _This is part of a College AU oneshot series that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's relationship with one another. Hopefully you'll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now, all you need to know is that Roderich is a music major concentrating in piano performance and Gilbert is a physics major whose little brother, Ludwig, is finishing up his senior year of high school back in their hometown in New Jersey. Gil and Roderich are currently in their sophomore year of college, but the series will probably branch out around that._

 _The oneshots don't necessarily have to be read in order, but some make more sense when read that way than others! Additionally, the Gilbert and Roderich in this AU are not particularly pious people, as the series title implies, and there will be sexual content, drug use, and underaged drinking covered in these fics. The series title is from the song 'Sleeping With A Friend' by Neon Trees. (And this title is from Guy Sebastian's song!) Thanks for reading, loves!_


	8. Party Buster

Gilbert may or may not be using this party to get over _him_. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to go his way. Contains alcohol use and mentions of drug use.

* * *

Gilbert walked into the Phi Tau Alpha house halfway there to already being blackout drunk. Mathias had texted him about the party earlier that evening, and Gilbert had actually forgotten about it until nearly eleven, when he suddenly remembered that out there, there was _free_ alcohol he could be drinking instead of his backup stash from the dorm room closet.

By the time he showed up, the party was full on raging. Phi Tau Alpha (known as PTA by students and affectionately as _"PETA"_ by the brothers) was one of the most popular fraternities on campus, and although their parties were pretty well-known by nearly _everyone_ , it still took knowing the right people to get an invite—especially by second semester, when the rush period was over and unless you had big breasts and a blonde smile, getting inside was next to impossible.

Gilbert had neither of these assets, but he did have Mathias—a rather gregarious Sports Medicine major he'd met in his first semester of college. And while Gilbert himself wasn't really one for Greek life, he couldn't deny that he certainly benefitted from it.

Again, the free alcohol.

Within three minutes of arriving, Gilbert was at the makeshift bar, the rather unsturdy-looking foldout table blinking red green yellow from the Christmas lights strung up behind it. Gilbert sobered himself up and leaned on it obnoxiously, towards the female student serving as bartender.

"Stuck with bar duty again, Alice? Man, Alfred sure does have you trained."

A tight blonde pigtail swung in front of him, nearly hitting him in the face as a pair of bright green eyes glared his way. The second year student was wearing corseted petticoat with a short, but full skirt; a rather odd attire for a college frat party, but beyond a few gawking freshmen, nobody really paid it any mind, already being used to such a sight.

"Beilschmidt. What a surprise. I'd almost dared to hope you weren't going to show up tonight," Alice replied. Her nose was upturned in a pugish way, and without her glasses there was no protection against the full on death glare Gilbert was receiving.

Gilbert simply flashed her a grin in response. "Missed the Awesomeness, did you?"

The other student simply rolled her eyes. "Shove off it, Beilschmidt. Do you want your usual or not?"

She gave him a bored look that suddenly morphed into a more serious frown. "Hold on a second," she said, leaning forward a bit. Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized him, and Gilbert darted his eyes around self-consciously.

"You're already drunk, aren't you?"

The back of Gilbert's neck grew hot. "What?" he said, "uh, no I'm not."

Alice swore under her breath. "Bloody moron. How much have you had to drink?" she demanded.

"Not that much!" he tried to protest. "Alice, c'mon, you know—"

"Gil!"

Gilbert's next words were cut off as a tall blond man crashed into him, looping an arm around his shoulders and punching him in the arm. They teetered to one side, threatening to fall, before the Dane pulled back and straightened them both on their feet.

"Gil, man! How's it going? I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up!" the newcomer greeted enthusiastically, his arm still tight around Gilbert's neck.

Somehow Gilbert managed to escape the partial-chokehold and return the other's grin. "Like I'd pass up a chance for free alcohol," he smirked. Alice scoffed behind them and Gilbert threw a wink in her direction. "Speaking of which, get your barmaid here to serve me, will ya? She's trying to cut me off before the party's even started."

Alice rolled her eyes in response. "He's already pissed, Mathias," she said by way of explanation.

"Aw, c'mon, Alice, don't be a stick in the mud!" Mathias whined. "It's just Gil, he can handle a few more."

"You heard the man," Gilbert grinned.

"A bunch of drunkards," Alice muttered under her breath before ducking below the table and handing them a beer each. "Alright, now scram."

Gilbert gave her a mocking salute and turned away with Mathias, examining the beer bottle as he did so. "You still getting the frat to buy this Danish crap?" he asked, reading over the foreign label.

"Nah, this is from my personal stash. I just get Alice to stock a few under the table," the blond grinned before cracking the top off on the kitchen counter. "C'mon, let's go upstairs. Everybody else is already up there."

Gilbert nodded, opening his own bottle in a similar fashion. He took a sip and followed Mathias up the stairs, feeling a sudden sense of déjà vu to the night he'd first met the Dane. He'd run into the blond a few times before, since he lived in the same dorm building but on a different floor.

Like Gilbert, Mathias had taken full advantage of Orientation Week, and every single run-in Gilbert'd had with the other, the Dane had been drunk. They finally made formal introductions at a Phi Theta Alpha party and ended up going to the upstairs to smoke.

Mathias had never been crossed before and Gilbert wasn't quite sure how they'd made it back in one piece, but ever since that night they'd remained friends. And now that Mathias was officially a member of Phi Theta Alpha, Gilbert got a free pass to all the parties.

The parties were usually swarming with people every floor, but as they retreated up the stairs, the number of partygoers thinned considerably. Other than a few voices coming from a closed bedroom door, the second floor was quiet. It was actually much quieter than Gilbert had been expecting, prompting him to ask.

"You guys not letting people smoke tonight?" he asked.

Mathias shook his head and jerked his thumb to the downstairs. "We moved it outside. It's just VIP up here tonight," he grinned.

Gilbert still wasn't sure what the other meant but when they turned the corner, he heard what sounded like Alfred swearing loudly and fast-paced electronic music coming from a TV.

Only a few people were gathered in the surprisingly spacious bedroom. A GameCube was connected to the flatscreen where a determined-looking blond and a younger, calmer looking kid were sitting in front of it. Their fingers were rapidly smashing over buttons on the controllers while another college-aged male leaned against the bed behind them, sipping his beer and watching the screen with an emotionless expression on his face.

It was clear that Alfred had no idea what he was doing and was losing pretty badly.

"Shit!" he swore as the MC shouted _Game!_ and Sheik was declared the winner.

"Aw, c'mon, Al, don't swear in front of the kid," Mathias complained as they walked in. The blond man with glasses turned towards them and his face immediately lit up once they landed on Gilbert.

"Gil! I thought you weren't gonna make it, bro!" he said enthusiastically.

Gilbert grinned. "Y'know, Mathias said the exact same thing to me. Like I'd ever miss the opportunity for free alcohol."

"Ha ha! Right on! You drinking that Danish crap of Mathias'—"

"You gonna play, or what?" the teenager muttered next to him, eyes already glued to the tv as he clicked back to the character selection screen. Gilbert chuckled as Alfred immediately scrambled to face the screen where Erik had already started the next game. He looked around the rest of the room.

"Mathias drag you here?" he asked, raising his beer in greeting to the other man leaning on the bed, who still had the same flat expression on his face.

The blond's expression didn't change. "I'm just here to make sure nothing stupid happens to Erik."

"Aleks loves PETA's parties!" Mathias cut in brightly, going over to sling an arm around the other blond. "He just can't stop coming to them with me!"

Without missing a beat, Aleks shoved Mathias off of him, hardly sparing the other more than a slow blink. The rejection reminded him of Roderich, who had given the exact same reaction to Gilbert on more than one occasion.

As he watched Mathias laugh off the rejection like it happened all the time, Gilbert tried to push any thoughts of the violet-eyed brunet out of his mind. He was here to enjoy himself—not get caught up on some prissy, glasses-wearing pansy.

"Al's right," he interrupted loudly, catching the attention of the other occupants in the room. "I didn't come here for this weak shit—where's the harder stuff, man? Let's get this party fucking started!"

Alfred whooped from his spot on the floor. " _Der König_ is back!" he punched the air.

Mathias slung an arm around Gilbert's shoulders, a large grin on his face. "You looking for a rematch at vodka pong?" he smirked.

"Not without Antonio to back him up," Alfred snickered.

Gilbert pushed Mathias off and snagged him in a chokehold, grinning wildly as he gave him a noggie. "The Awesome Me doesn't need anyone's help in kicking your ass at beer pong."

"Yeah, but you sure did need Antonio's help against Erzsébet, didn't you, Gil?" Alfred pipped up again from the floor.

Gilbert scoffed. "He _helped._ Maybe." He squeezed his arm tighter when Mathias snickered.

Aleks raised a skeptical eyebrow as he watched their wrestling match from the bed. "Didn't the three of you get banned from that Alpha Rho for that match?"

"The Incident of Spring 2015," Alfred quipped sagely.

"Psh, no," Gilbert dismissed. Then, "Well, maybe. The point is, _I_ can still beat your ass at beer pong any time I want. I only lost last time because Al was being a shitty partner."

"Hey!"

"Strong words from _der König_ ," Mathias grinned, managing to escape Gilbert's chokehold. "You're on."

To nobody's surprise, Mathias had a beer pong table stashed away in the upstairs hall closet. They quickly set it up and poured vodka into the cups, Gilbert sneaking his own swig when nobody was paying attention. The cheap liquor stung as it went down.

"Alright, you losers, you ready to suck it?!" Gilbert shouted, grinning maniacally. He and Alfred stood on one side of the table while Mathias and Aleks took up the other. Erik looked bored, but he stayed on the side to watch nonetheless.

Gilbert raised his arm in the air, ready to fucking slam dunk the ball into the other team's cup, when the music suddenly shut off from downstairs. Alfred looked up in confusion.

"What the fu—"

One of the frat brothers charged up the stairs. " _Cops!_ " he hissed.

Alfred groaned. "Not again," he complained.

They were all underage. And having a fifteen year old probably wouldn't help their case, Gilbert realized as he glanced at Erik. "Shit," he swore.

To make matters worse, he was beginning to feel that last drink, and it was _not_ sitting well in his stomach.

"We need to dump the alcohol," Mathias said, and for once Aleks nodded in agreement, already grabbing several of the red solo cups. Without even needing direction, he began carrying them to the upstairs bathroom, Alfred following close behind. "Erik," Mathias turned to the teen, "go hide in the bedroom. Hopefully this'll just be a warning and they won't check upstairs."

"Fuck, man," Alfred muttered, "I can't get written up again. Coach'll kill me."

"…I'm not staying."

Three different expressions turned Gilbert's way.

"Don't be stupid," Aleks retorted the same time Alfred said, "Dude, not a good idea."

Mathias' brows had furrowed. "Gil, you know that's just gonna get you caught."

"I won't get caught," Gilbert replied stubbornly. "And like you said, this is probably just a warning. But I'm not staying."

Mathias set a hand on his shoulder, a deeper frown etched on his features. "C'mon, man, what's this about?" he asked, looking far too perceptive for Gilbert's liking. "It's not like you to abandon ship."

Gilbert shook his head, the lights smearing just a bit. "Not right now," he said.

He shook Mathias' hand off and walked over to one of the other bedrooms, hardly noticing when Alfred took a step forward, Mathias stopping the blond with a shake of his head. They were only on the second story, and Gilbert knew there was a grassy patch underneath the bedroom window.

As he opened the window, the red and blue lights of the cop cars out front flashing against the side of the house, Gilbert was reminded of all the times he'd snuck out of his family's house when he was younger. He took a deep breath to steady himself.

It was just like visiting Francis, or Antonio…or Roderich.

Deep breath in.

Gilbert jumped.

 _A/N: Sorry it's been a while since an update! I've had this on my computer for a while but other stuff made it a bit hard to upload. Finally get to see some other characters than the usual cast. And in case you weren't sure, Alice is nyo!England. (:_

 _This is part of a College AU oneshot series that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's relationship with one another. Hopefully you'll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now, all you need to know is that Roderich is a music major concentrating in piano performance and Gilbert is a physics major whose little brother, Ludwig, is finishing up his senior year in high school back in their hometown in New Jersey. Gil and Roderich are currently in their sophomore year of college, but the series will probably branch out around that._

 _The oneshots don't necessarily have to be read in order, but some make more sense when read that way than others! Additionally, the Gilbert and Roderich of this AU are not particularly pious people, as the series title implies, and there will be sexual content, drug use, and underaged drinking covered in these fics. The series title is from the song 'Sleeping With A Friend' by Neon Trees. Thanks for reading, loves!_


	9. Patterns

Roderich wakes up to a text. By now he should probably know what that means. High school flash back. Takes place about a month after 'First Time.'

* * *

Roderich woke up to a text.

 _Do u want to come over?_ it read. Gilbert's name was printed above it.

Roderich blinked blearily and grabbed his phone, still squinting one eye as he swiped his thumb across the screen to unlock it. The messaging app automatically popped up and he shifted his other arm so that he could type back a reply.

 _Its 2 am what do u want_

The screen was slowly starting to blind him a little less and he cracked open his other eye as he hit sent. Gilbert's reply came back immediately.

 _Just come over_

Roderich waited a moment, but it was clear that the other boy wasn't going to offer any further explanation. He sighed, tilting his phone against the bed for a moment while he mulled his options over. It was a Thursday night, and he had first period off tomorrow. Maybe he could just see what Gilbert wanted and still get a few more hours of sleep before school. Gilbert would probably keep bothering him until he agreed, anyway.

 _Fine_ , he texted back, setting down his phone as he slid out of bed and went to pull on pants and a jacket. With October coming to an end, the nights were getting colder and so he tugged on his nice winter coat before slipping outside, automatically shivering at the change in temperature.

 _The back doors open_ , the new message read once he was outside.

Roderich didn't bother responding to it as he trekked the block and a half distance it took to get to Gilbert's house. As he approached, he could already see the light on in Gilbert's room through the second story window. He entered through the back kitchen door and crept up the stairs.

"What do you want?" Roderich got straight to the point as soon as he closed the bedroom door. The rest of the Beilschmidt house was fast asleep.

Gilbert was sitting at his desk, some YouTube video still playing on his computer even as he turned around at Roderich's arrival. He was wearing only his boxers and the room had a certain musk to it that indicated to Roderich just what the blond's previous activities had been. When Gilbert looked up at him, his eyes were still dilated, their dark bronze color appearing red under the overhead lights.

"I'm horny," he confirmed.

Roderich didn't know what else to do but nod. Ever since that first night they'd slept together, Gilbert hadn't been exactly subtle in his desire for sex.

But as long as they maintained their label as 'just friends,' Roderich didn't care. There were worst things in the world than sleeping with one of his best friends, and it wasn't like Gilbert was something to sniff at. He nodded again and began taking off his coat.

"You know it's a school night," he said, tossing it onto a chair. His shirt soon followed and then his glasses, the frames clattering carelessly against the bookshelf.

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Am I supposed to wait until the weekend to get a boner?" he shot back. He was already running a rhythmic fist against his erection, his body leaning forward slightly in his chair as he watched Roderich.

"No," Roderich replied, and he dropped down to his knees. "Let me."

He pushed Gilbert's hand aside, his own fingers replacing the blond's in increasingly faster strokes.

"Shit—yeah—"

Gilbert's voice came out strained. Roderich let it fade to the back of his thoughts as he dipped his head forward and parted his lips against the head, feeling the slick of Gilbert's precum slide over them. He hollowed his mouth and took it in deeper, his eyes closing in a feeling of familiarity.

Gilbert's length was a thick weight against his tongue, the smell of his arousal filling Roderich's senses. He could feel his own length hardening in response but before he could reach down and take care of it himself, Gilbert's hand was pulling at his hair and then pulling him towards the bed.

They didn't even make it all the way onto the sheets. Gilbert's rough hands pushed him to bend over the side of the bed, his underwear quickly shoved down to expose him. Roderich could feel the other's length pressing against the back of his thighs whenever the other boy shifted, hardly moving from his position as he pulled out a condom and lube from the nightstand drawer.

Roderich listened to his own ragged breathing and curled one hand into the sheets. His arousal was pressed uncomfortably into the side of the bed, the fabric and position rough against sensitive skin. He shifted as Gilbert made quick work of his preparations, soon pressing at his entrance, the formality almost nonexistent.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Just hurry up," responded Roderich.

He couldn't help the gasp that escaped once Gilbert pushed in, all hormones and impatience. Another soft grunt escaped as the other began to move, Gilbert's canting of his hips full and deliberate.

Each thrust made the feeling in Roderich's gut coil tighter and tighter. He was aware that his fingers had tightened into the fabric, his sweaty palms probably crinkling the clean sheets underneath. He kept his eyes screwed shut, the heavy scent of sex in the room still flooding his nostrils.

One of Gilbert's sweaty palms pressed into his hips, his short and choppy nails digging into Roderich's skin there. He could feel the other's fingers tightening as his thrusts became a little faster, the loss of control betraying how close he was. Roderich clenched himself purposefully and Gilbert swore, his hips jerking momentarily as if they were unable to control themselves.

Finally Gilbert gave one last lurch, his strained utterance of _Fuck, Roderich—_ nearly lost under his groan as he came.

He thrust in a few more times before finally pulling out, Roderich still feeling painfully tight even as he did so. With his own hand, he finished a few seconds after, a quiet gasp breaching his own lips as his cum splattered against his fingers and his chest. Their heavy, expellant breaths filled the room.

"Shit," Gilbert finally said, turning so that he was lying against the bed, propped up on his elbows. "That was good."

Roderich's chest fluttered up and down and he nodded noiselessly.

Gilbert stayed in that position for a few more minutes before finally moving to his feet. He tossed the box of tissues next to Roderich before pulling on his boxers, the musky scent from before settling around them.

"You can stay the night if you want. I don't really care."

"I should probably get back home," Roderich replied.

Gilbert didn't look at him and nodded. Roderich had a strong feeling that he was missing something.

He ignored it and began pulling on his pants. "I'll see you at school tomorrow," he said.

"Yeah," Gilbert echoed, "see you at school tomorrow."

The feeling tightened.

Roderich grabbed his coat and pulled the door shut behind him. Finally being out of the house he felt like he could breathe again, the night air cold but fresh. He tugged his coat on.

When he glanced back at the house as he was leaving, he could see Gilbert's light still on in the second story window. It was the only light on in the entire neighborhood.

A shiver ran through his body as he stood there and Roderich shook his head, gathering his coat ends closer to him as he left the Beilschmidt house behind.

 _ **A/N:** I've had this in my drafts for quite a while but didn't feel like posting it until now- even though the oneshots can be read in any order, they do have a particular order in my head ahaha. But chronologically speaking, this takes place about a month after 'First Time' and is mostly just filler in terms of the overarching plot._

 _This is part of a College AU oneshot series that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's relationship with one another. Hopefully you'll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now, all you need to know is that Roderich is a music major concentrating in piano performance and Gilbert is a physics major whose little brother, Ludwig, is finishing up his senior year of high school back in their hometown in New Jersey. Gil and Roderich are currently in their sophomore year of college, but the series will probably branch out around that._

 _The oneshots don't necessarily have to be read in order, but some make more sense when read that way than others! Additionally, the Gilbert and Roderich in this AU are not particularly pious people, as the series title implies, and there will be sexual content, drug use, and underaged drinking covered in these fics. The series title is from the song 'Sleeping With A Friend' by Neon Trees. Thanks for reading, loves!_


End file.
